The Unnatural
by AthenaScarlet
Summary: Of all the towns in all the realms, Killian Jones never expected to see a very old friend in the Storybrooke sheriff's station, but that's exactly where he found Captain Dana Scully.


**Based on a random idea I've had bouncing around my head because, seriously, Scully is the perfect name for a pirate. Don't worry if you don't know much about the X-Files - you don't need to to understand the story (although you may need a little basic knowledge of Once).**

 _Scully: All right. How do I die?  
_ _Bruckman: You don't.  
_ _\- "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", The X-Files_

Hook and his crew had already built a warm bonfire and set up shelter on the beach for the night by the time she and her crew had finally dropped anchor in the bay.

"Remember not to let your guard down, boys," he instructed the crew. "They may be beautiful lasses, but they're beautiful pirate lasses."

A few of the men groaned, remembering the last time they had encountered the crew of the Piper Maru. A few more, however, smiled and clapped each other on the back. A pirate ship full of women. How bad could it be?

Hook knew it could be bad if he left with a lovesick crew, but he also knew the other pirates could be trusted. It's why he had asked to meet and talk about a possible job that could benefit both of them.

"Captain Jones!" came a voice from the dinghy that had landed on the beach.

Hook turned to see a familiar pirate, curvaceous and petite with short red hair and a fiery personality to match. He could feel his heart speed up in his chest for only a moment before it settled back to its normal speed. No one would begrudge a pirate, especially not a captain, who would find such a woman attractive. Even Liam had seen her as a bewitching ally - when she wasn't a formidable foe.

"Captain Scully," Killian said, walking over to help his fellow pirate on to the beach. "It's good to see you again, lass."

"Is it?" she replied. "I thought you would try to avoid me at all costs after our last mission."

He smiled and kissed her chastly on the cheek. "No hard feelings, Scully, I promise. You needed to protect your crew - even if I did lose quite a sum because of it."

"Well, I brought you some rum as a form of apology if that's acceptable to you." She gave him a mischievous grin. "You don't have to take it of course if you don't want to."

"No true pirate, man or woman, turns down rum." He turned and grabbed her hand, tucking it into the crook of his elbow as he led her over to the fire. "I will be more than happy to accept your apology, Captain. Now what do you say we have some supper and discuss business?"

The two crews enjoyed their meal together, their drinking as well. As the sun set and the stars began to present themselves in the sky, the pirates continued to get louder and more raucous. A few crew members from both ships had disappeared under the vegetation on the small uninhabited island for various salacious activities before sleep would finally take hold of them. Others, including Killian, had found plenty of enjoyment from the rum Scully had brought as her form of penance.

He respected Scully and the women of the Piper Maru's crew. It was not easy being a female on the high seas, especially as a captain, but Scully wasn't just any woman and neither were the pirates on her ship. He didn't mind the decisions members of either crew made when they had some down time - he learned long ago that Scully's crew could handle themselves with his boys. He just felt it was better to keep his guard up with the fair gender before him, but he would be lying if he said it didn't flatter him to have them laugh at his tales from the sea. Scully didn't seem to mind either.

"Tell them about the time Blackbeard tried to commandeer your ship," she demanded after a few hours of drinking.

Killian smiled and took a swig of rum to loosen up his storytelling skills. "It was still the king's ship at the time with my brother Liam at the helm."

And with that, he was off to spin his tale of Liam tricking Blackbeard. A few of his men had thrown their arms around the shoulders of their female pirate companions, and Killian was particularly happy when they all laughed and joked as he told them the tale. These were the nights when he truly enjoyed the camaraderie between pirates and their ships, and Scully's ship was one of the best.

"To this day," Killian said as he wrapped up his story, "Blackbeard still holds a grudge against the Jolly Roger."

"And we still beat him," replied a particularly burly member of his group.

His crew clapped as a few of Scully's pirates laughed and smiled before everyone began to break off and find a place to hunker down on the beach for the night, leaving the two captains alone by the fire.

Scully stole Killian's flask from his hand and took a drink before handing it back to him. "You know, I was glad to get your message, Jones."

"I'm glad you got it too," he replied softly.

"You're not flirting with me, are you, captain?" she asked in a teasing tone.

Killian gave her a weak smile and held his hand out to get his flask back. He remembered the first time he met her, her fiery red hair standing out against the blue sky. They worked together for a week, side by side with a common goal of defeating an enemy of his king. But when he told her about his desire for her, she quickly dismissed it as a boyhood crush. She was right, of course, but it was still a blow - and one that Liam had teased him about mercilessly for weeks.

"I know better than to flirt with Captain Scully," he said. "I've already had my heart broken by you once. I would prefer not to relive that."

"It was quite adorable!" she replied.

"A man, and especially a pirate captain, would prefer not to be called 'adorable' if you must know."

She bumped his arm with her own. "You weren't a dashing pirate captain when you asked me for a kiss."

He ducked, hoping she couldn't see the flush he could feel creeping up his cheeks before a more sobering thought pushed its way into his mind. "I was a very different person then."

"And I'm still the same," she said in a tone that matched his.

Killian looked at her, the light from the fire dancing across her face. They both had battle scars, hers much older than his, and he knew from conversations in their past that it was best to just leave those feeling untouched for now.

"So," he said, taking a swig of rum to clear his throat. "I'm assuming you're wondering why I wanted this meeting."

She stared ahead at the fire. "I know about the job you've been offered."

"So you know it can't be done by one crew alone."

"Aye."

"Working together could benefit both of us."

Scully kicked around the sand at her feet. "You remember what happened the last time we worked together?"

"I remember," he said teasingly. "But you're still the best pirate out there, Scully, and I need you." He took another drink from his flask. "Besides, it's like I said, I know you had no other choice and needed to protect your crew."

She turned to look at him, the fire reflected in her eyes. "Your brother would be proud of what you've become, even if it is a pirate. You're not the novice I met all those years ago, Jones."

Killian instinctively flexed his jaw, trying to tap down the emotion bubbling inside of him before letting a small smirk tease at his lips. "And yet while I've grown up, you're still the same Scully I've always known."

"Indeed, I am," she said bitterly.

Killian looked up to see if there was anyone left who could hear their conversation. They were alone. "Have you found any answers yet to fix that?" he asked quietly.

"No answers," she replied in the same tone. "Still cursed."

"I don't know if never being able to die is a curse."

Scully scoffed bitterly next to him. "I've been alive for 100 years already because of a mistake I made when I was 25 years old."

Killian couldn't help but move closer to her, instinctively throwing an arm around her shoulder. He had long since accepted that he would never have a chance to get her corset off, but that didn't mean he didn't care about her. This curse she had been given a century ago still haunted her, but he was determined to comfort her if only for tonight.

The wind blew through the palm trees on the edge of the beach, and Killian could feel Scully shiver slightly next to him. He instinctively pulled her closer and was thankful when she didn't push him away.

"We need this job to work, Jones," she finally said from her spot next to him.

"Any particular reason?"

"I have to get a new crew."

Killian laughed slightly. "Is this one getting suspicious?"

"Aye."

When she had confided her condition to him, she had explained that she needed to rotate crews every decade or so, taking on a new group of pirates, a new name for her ship, a new identity for herself. He hadn't known her long enough to actually see the process in real life though.

"We've lost a few pirates in the past year," he told her. "I'd be happy to take on some of your crew."

"Thank you," she said. "And you know this will have to be the last we see of each other."

Killian laughed next to her. "You know you can't avoid me forever. The sea may be big but not that big." He could feel Scully stiffen next to him. "Don't worry. I'll protect your secret, captain."

"I told you that your brother would be proud of you, didn't I?"

He smiled. "You did."

"Just wanted to make sure," she said. "I should probably get some sleep. We need to get up early to start work on our plan."

Killian stood and gave her a hand, pulling her up from her place on the sand. "Why don't you stay with me tonight, Scully? Totally innocent, I promise," he added quickly. "I just thought it would be nice to spend some time with you before we have to part."

"Fine. But I get my own blankets. No sharing."

"Of course, m'lady."

She turned to give him a threatening look. "And never call me lady."

Killian smiled. "Understood, captain."

xxx xxx xxx

Killian was rudely awaken by his talking phone ringing on the table next to his bed. It had been a late night for he and David at the Rabbit's Hole, and he was sure they were both regretting their decisions now that it was... he checked the clock. Eleven a.m. It was quite a bit later than he was expecting.

The talking phone buzzed again and he saw Emma's name flash on the screen. He couldn't contain the smile on his face as he answered it.

"Well, good morning, love."

"You can't go out with your hook today. Do you have your wooden hand somewhere?" Emma was whispering as if she was in some sort of distress.

"I have it, but what is this -"

"Just have your hand handy… or whatever."

And with that, she hung up.

Killian stared at the now quiet talking phone. Something was up, and he didn't like any of the possible explanations that were tumbling around in his head. He quickly got up and threw on his new and more modern clothes. Then he added the normal kohl around his eyes - even when he was rushed for time, he still felt it was a basic necessity of his wardrobe. Under his bed at Granny's was a small chest that he pulled out and opened, thankfully finding his wooden hand inside. Emma urgently told him to wear it and while he didn't always listen to her, Killian figured he should at least heed her warning before investigating the problem.

He hurried the few blocks from Granny's to the sheriff's station where he had planned to meet Emma anyway before they headed out for lunch together that day. She was sitting behind her desk in her office looking casual as she did paperwork. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Hello, love!" he said, walking in to give her a peck on her forehead.

Emma flinched at his touch, as if his presence suddenly stressed her out. "Killian," she replied politely.

"Do you live in this town?"

Killian looked up to find a man he didn't recognize walking towards him from one of the desks by the jail cells. "Yes," he replied cautiously. "Who are you?"

The man stuck out his hand in a greeting that Killian was still getting used to in this world. "Agent Fox Mulder. I'm with the FBI." He had no idea what that meant but shook the man's hand anyway. "This is my partner, Agent Dana Scully."

Killian turned and…

Scully.

He would recognize her fiery red hair at any time in any realm. The captain of the Piper Maru, the pirate cursed to live forever was in this realm. The Land Without Magic. Storybrooke.

"Killian?"

He broke out of his flustered reaction to see Emma and this Mulder person staring at him. Turning back to Scully, he noticed that she had at least recovered from her own surprise at this turn of events.

"I uh… I'm sorry," he stammered. "You just look like someone I used to know."

"Quite alright," Scully replied. Killian easily recognized her voice as it dripped into the old recesses of his mind.

"What did you say your name was?" the man named Mulder asked.

"Uh, Killian. Killian Jones."

Mulder nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Well, Killian, we're here investigating something strange going on with this town," he said in a bit of an accusatory tone.

"Strange?" Killian said dismissively - or at least trying to.

"For some reason, Storybrooke wasn't on any maps ever, and then it just suddenly appeared."

Killian turned to Capta - Agent Scully, hoping she would give him some guidance. "We wanted to see if there was something unusual about this town."

"Nothing unusual," he replied. "Just a small town is all."

Mulder eyed his suspiciously. "Well, we've had a long drive to get here," he said, turning to Emma. "Perhaps we could get some lunch and discuss this, sheriff?"

"Of course," she replied. "There's a diner nearby with a great lunch special."

Killian's mind flashed on all the people that would be at Granny's having lunch right now: her granddaughter Red Riding Hood or Grumpy the dwarf or Snow White and Prince Charming. Taking a man already suspicious of the town to that diner would be a disaster. "Emma, _love_. Why don't we take them to the fish place at the docks? The views are terrific."

She quickly realized what he had done and immediately latched on to it. "Actually, I hadn't even thought about that. What a great idea, Killian. Does that sound fine with you agents?"

Mulder and Scully nodded in approval, and the Fox man went to grab his coat from the desk he had occupied. Scully, on the other hand, just stared at Killian.

He couldn't help but stare back. It was like he was seeing a ghost, and yet she was a very real woman standing in front of him. He couldn't tell for sure, but she seemed slightly older. The color of her hair was a little washed out and she had a wrinkle here and there on her face. They were just little details that Killian had noticed - and he had noticed quite a few details all those centuries ago that he still carried with him.

When he would finally drift off to another restless night's sleep in Neverland, he would think of her occasionally and wonder where she was or what his life would've been like if he had pressed her to pursue a relationship with him. He would've been too tied up with Scully - in a good way - to ever get into a relationship with the wife of the Dark One. He also would've never met Emma. For all the bad things in his life as he tried to seek revenge for Milah's death, they all led to this little town in Maine with Emma, and he was thankful for that.

Mulder cleared his throat, once again breaking Killian from his trip down memory lane. "Shall we?" the agent said, gesturing towards the front door of the sheriff's station.

Emma led the group out of the offices and locked the door behind them before they started walking towards the docks. Mulder and Emma led the group and were so engrossed in a law enforcement discussion they barely noticed the stragglers behind them. It was only when they had finally pulled far enough ahead of the pair of pirates that Scully even dared to speak.

"Captain," she said quietly.

Killian grinned and looked ahead. "Captain," he replied. "I never expected to see you again."

"Nor I you."

"So you're sticking with the Scully name, eh?" he said, turning to look at her.

She laughed quietly. "Aye," she said. Killian could see a spark in her eyes and she turned to smile at him. "I haven't used that word in a long time."

They walked in silence, listening to the loud conversation between Emma and the FBI agent about the weapons both used on the job.

"I had been following you for awhile," Scully finally said quietly. "Well, 'awhile' relative to my curse."

He gave her a sad smile. "I wish I could say the same, but Neverland distorted my perception of time."

"I heard about that," she replied. "And I'm sorry I couldn't comfort you after Milah's death."

Killian cocked an eyebrow in her direction. "Comfort me?" he asked teasingly.

"You know what I mean."

"Aye, I do."

As they continued their walk to lunch, Killian couldn't help but ask a question that had been nagging him since he saw Scully at the sheriff's station.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, lass, but you do seem to have aged a bit since I last saw you."

Scully seemed to smile a bit at his remark. "The Land Without Magic apparently doesn't allow curses to penetrate its magic-less bubble."

Killian almost stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "So does that mean…."

She shook her head. "I thought it meant that I was finally able to find a solution to this ageless curse nonsense. But two months ago, Mulder and I worked a case that made me question that."

"How so?"

"We were talking to a man who believed he could see how people die," she said.

Killian immediately understood what she was trying to explain. "What did he tell you?" he asked apprehensively.

"He said I don't."

Killian let out a deep breath, the weight of the news heavy on his shoulders and they continued to follow their partners. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "If you want, I can try and help you from Storybrooke."

"Well, Mulder is on this mission to find out what's going on here. I know what's going on though. I know about the curse. He's just trying to search for answers to questions that I could've answered for him back in Washington."

"So are you here to find your own answers?"

Scully looked away from him. "It turns out what I need is a savior, and apparently she lives here," she explained. "I would ask for your help but don't want to get my hopes up."

Killian could only help but smile at his former co-conspirator. "The savior is right in front of you."

"What?" she asked incredulously. "Mulder is my savior?"

"Bloody hell, pirate," he replied in exasperation. "Emma. Emma is the savior."

She stopped on the sidewalk, a look of shock and surprise on her face. "Your girlfriend is the savior?"

"Aye."

"You're dating the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Aye." He turned to see the smile Scully was trying hard to suppress. "You don't need to gloat, Scully."

"Not gloating."

"You used to be much better at lying, captain."

The foursome had made it to the fish and chips shop by the water and sat down to lunch together. Most of the conversation was taken over by Mulder - the only one of the three of them with no secrets to hide. First, he started asking about the town with Emma and Killian answering as shortly as possible. Then he started talking about aliens from another planet, which caused Scully to just roll her eyes. Killian remembered that look from long ago and would've laughed if he knew that his reaction wouldn't give their charade away.

Emma simply nodded at Mulder's crazy theories, occasionally asking questions to make it sound like she was interested. "So how does the FBI feel about your -"

Mulder's talking phone rang. "Sorry," he said before getting up and walking to the water to take the call.

"So," Scully said, looking up at Emma. "Jones says you're the savior."

Emma stopped chewing mid-bite and shot a strong look in Killian's direction. "Um, what?"

"Don't worry, love. I know Scully from… my time before here."

"Really?" she responded skeptically.

"I was once the captain of a pirate crew in the Enchanted Forest."

"Of course there's always something weird in my life," Emma replied dejectedly.

And with that, Scully quickly told an abridged story she had told Killian all those years ago about the curse that had been placed on her, about her inability to die, about how she was sick of staying the same and wanted to move on from the curse.

"I met a seer once who said there was a savior who could -"

Killian shook his head, seeing Scully's partner walking back towards them as he put the talking phone in his pocket.

"Bad news, Scully. Skinner wants us to check out a disappearance a few hours from here in New Hampshire."

"So we have to leave," she replied as she glanced towards her former pirate partner.

And with that, the four of them headed back to the sheriff's station to see off the FBI agents. As Emma and Mulder exchanged information and talked about possibly meeting to discuss the town's issues again, Killian quietly turned to his old friend.

"Will you be back, Scully?"

"At some point, yes. And without him," she added, gesturing towards her partner.

Killian smiled at her. "Emma and I will do some research and see if we can find answers for you."

Scully glanced over at her partner and, realizing he wasn't paying attention, leaned over and gave Killian a hug. "I'm glad I got to see you again."

"Me too."

"You'll call if you find something?"

"Aye," he said with a smile. "And I may even call you even if I haven't found something."

She nodded and turned back to the car. "Mulder! Let's go."

"As you wish, Scully," he responded grudgingly as they got in the car. "And Emma, I'll be in touch."

Their car pulled away, Killian staring as Scully left. It had been nice to see her again - and a good reminder that the torch he once carried for her as a young man was nothing like what he had now with his Swan.

"So, you have a crush on an FBI agent?"

Killian grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her closer. "Had, Swan. And if you must know, I don't find FBI agents as appealing as sheriffs."

He could feel her pull herself up before she kissed him on the cheek. "Alright, pirate captain. Let's get to work. Your friend has a curse we need to cure."


End file.
